


Honorbound

by kibasniper



Series: Honorary Tales [20]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Female Friendship, Gen, Honor, Post-Canon, Regret, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 18:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18183929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibasniper/pseuds/kibasniper
Summary: Pantha comes across Jinx in the middle of the night after the battle with the Brotherhood of Evil.





	Honorbound

“What’s with that constipated look?”

Jinx sputtered, her eyes widening to their fullest extent. She choked on her drink and spat it out, the lukewarm soda dribbling down her chin. She quickly wiped herself clean with her sleeve and coughed, her heart pounding louder in her chest. Her composure thoroughly stabbed, Jinx tried to regain some semblance of pride as she scowled at the smirking Pantha.

“E-excuse me? Wanna try saying that again?” she snarled, a few hexes cutting between her fingers.

Pantha rolled her eyes. She had only come down for a drink of water to quell her late night thirst when she noticed Jinx was already in the living room. The unlucky sorceress appeared to be deep in thought as she leaned against the refrigerator in Titans Tower. Her brow had been scrunched, leaving a few creases as she intently glared at her murky reflection in her drink. To Pantha, she appeared like someone in a cheaply dramatic movie for pre-teens, a sight that forced the crude comment to break through the uncertain tension.

Pointing at her own brow, she replied, “You’re going to wrinkle early if you keep making an expression like that.”

Heat pooled in her cheeks. She touched her forehead only to quickly shake her head. “What do you want anyway?”

“Nothing. What do you want?” Pantha nudged her out of the way and opened the fridge. She would have settled for some tap water, but she felt like Jinx would try and hex her if she even looked at the glass cups on the counter.

As she snatched a bottle of sparkling water, Jinx huffed at her like a pouting child “Don’t you have to babysit Wildebeest or did you already put him down for bedtime?”

Pantha chuckled. Her reputation as Wildebeest’s friend and caretaker had certainly made rounds around the Titans. She guessed Jinx thought she had said something clever when she noticed the corner of her lip curl into her cheek.

“Well, it isn’t like I care what you think.” Pantha uncapped the bottle and chugged, the salty taste washing down a budding insult about Jinx’ hair. Sighing, she shook the bottle and measured it as half-empty. Catching her curious gaze, she added, “Anyway, it’s late. You should sleep.”

Jinx crossed her arms and cocked her hip out. It wasn’t like she cared about what some new Titan had to say about her. She had heard much worse when hanging out with the H.I.V.E. Gizmo could have said something much more vulgar on an irritable night when they lost to the Titans, one of several memories that left her groaning.

Eyeing Pantha as she left, Jinx found herself gazing at her costume. Her mask reminded her of Wrestling Star, an older student from the H.A.E.Y.P. She hadn’t interacted with him much; he preferred the company of Mammoth anyway. The similarity dawned on Jinx as Pantha made her way back to the sliding doors, and she curled her fingers around her glass, a question brewing in her mind.

“Hey, you’re a wrestler, right?” she asked, prompting Pantha to pause by the doors.

Touching her mask, she snorted, “What gave it away?”

“Don’t push your luck.” Jinx strode over to her with careful, controlled steps that faintly echoed in the otherwise silent living room. “Why’d you wanna be a Titan if you’re already a wrestler? You trying out some new career choice?”

She repeated Jinx’ query under her breath. Pantha weighed her beverage in one hand, focusing on how the water sloshed up and down in the plastic container. It proved to be a fitting distraction when she heard Jinx clear her throat, clearly wanting an immediate answer that made her own lips hitch into a smirk. 

Although, she thought it was rather easy to glean the answer just from her actions alone. Fighting against the Brotherhood of Evil and teaming up with the Titans already proved her allegiance to heroism, but one glance at Jinx gave her all that she needed to know.

The shorter girl was tense. Her sharp shoulders were raised, and her eyes narrowed on Pantha’s every twitch. From what she had learned from the others, Jinx was a supposedly reformed villain. She terrorized Jump City with midday jewelry heists and late night bank robberies only to end up in the city jail time and time again, but it was Kid Flash who helped turn her life around. With a second chance, it seemed Jinx was willing to live a better life even if doubts lingered in her words.

“To stop villainy,” Pantha said, and Jinx glanced at the floor, “wasn't really my goal. I’m still a wrestler before a Titan. The only reason why I joined was to help Wildebeest.” She snickered. “I’m sure your reason for joining the Titans must be better than mine.”

Her response left Jinx bewildered. She expected some spiel about heroism and justice. During her time with the H.I.V.E. and even the Brotherhood, rampant declarations about villainy reigned supreme. There wasn’t a moment when she wasn't listening to the earnest ramblings of an evildoer like Brother Blood in her days as a lackey to whoever who would give her the time of day.

Even the Titans had moments when they proclaimed their adherence to justice. She could count on her fingers the number of times Robin went off on some possibly scripted monologue about how the Titans would always be there to stop the H.I.V.E Five. Each and every time, she laughed so hard that she thought she could cry with an emotion she couldn’t discern. 

The lackadaisical coat covering Pantha’s words pricked her. She cupped her cheek with one hand and grabbed her elbow with the other. Hearing Pantha take another generous sip of her sparkling water, she lifted her gaze back to her.

“But there’s something else on your mind, right? You wouldn’t ask me that if you weren’t interested in something else,” Pantha said, sighing and capping her drink.

“Eh, it’s nothing. You already gave me your answer.” Jinx shrugged. “What else is there to say?”

Pantha slid her thumb against the cap and let it spin until it popped off, hitting the floor with a quiet tap. She passed Jinx and strode over to the couch, feeling her curious eyes follow her every moment. Resting the small of her back against the armrest, she finished off the rest of her drink and uttered a heavy sigh. She tossed the bottle over her shoulder and grinned as it unceremoniously rebounded off a table to the floor.

She gestured for Jinx to come closer. “Try me. I’ve heard many stupid things in my life.”

The confidence oozing in her words allowed a cunning grin to split into Jinx’ cheeks. She sounded like one of her old teachers listening to her complain about her stupid classmates. An air of assurance surrounded Pantha and wafted towards Jinx, beckoning her forward, and she followed, once again putting on airs as she mimicked Pantha’s posture.

“If that’s your reason for being a Titan, what about honor?” Jinx asked, pushing out her chin.

Pantha gasped as if punched square in her chest. She jerked her head forward, invading Jinx’ personal space and nearly hitting her face with her thick hair. “It’s important to never lose honor! The moment it’s gone, then that’s when you lose your meaning in the ring!”

Yelping, Jinx instinctively took a step backwards as Pantha encroached upon her like a true prowling panther. She raised her hands, hexes circling around her wrists and threatening to fly off. Spreading her mouth into a wide, shocked grin, Jinx uttered an off-kilter chuckle as Pantha loomed over her, sensing the slightest hint of bloodlust.

Realizing she had startled the poor witch, she straightened. Curling a few strands of hair behind her ear, Pantha cleared her throat. “As a Titan, I guess the same is also true.”

“Wow. Passionate.” Jinx fiddled with her choker. “You really answered my question there.”

“All I’m saying is that you have to be you and now allow anyone else to take that from you.” Pantha sighed and scratched her head. “I sound like a life coach, but I think this is what you need to hear.”

Jinx lowered her voice, cautious optimism dripping with each word. “Even if I changed sides?”

She looked so much like Wildebeest when he was small that it pierced right through Pantha’s heart. Before her was a girl who suddenly seemed like the world was out to get her. A part of her still seemed to regret what she had done. Even if it was to better herself, she abandoned others in order to achieve her new life. Leaving her team in order to join another, allowing them to be frozen just so she could move forward with a grin plastered on her face, it must have caused pangs to batter her conscience.

Pantha couldn’t empathize. She never betrayed anyone in such a life-altering way. She had scruples about some decisions made in her younger years, but it was nothing compared to what Jinx had done for the sake of her happier future.

Resting her hand on her bony shoulder, Pantha smiled and relaxed her own wary features. She patted down firmly and said, “You are who you want to be now. I think you’ve made great gains from what I’ve heard.” She squeezed ever so slightly. “So you better start believing it, too, got it?”

She felt a bead of sweat run down the side of her face, the intensity of Pantha’s eyes burning into her. “Vaguely threatening comfort aside, thanks, I think.” She rubbed the spot where Pantha squeezed, a sore spot forming to what she hoped wasn’t a bruise. “Ugh, ease up on your grip next time. Squeeze me any harder, and you might’ve broken my shoulder.”

“Strengthen your wimpy deltoids instead.”

Brushing off her jab, Jinx pushed herself off the couch and strutted for the door. “Yeah, yeah, thanks for the advice or something.”

“Remember to keep your face relaxed so you don’t look-”

“I get it! Good night!” Jinx barked over her shoulder as the sliding doors opened.

Letting Pantha’s smirking face burn into her memory, Jinx snorted as the doors shut behind her. She shook her head as if to banish what had just happened to the farthest recesses of her mind. Pacing herself down the hallway to her borrowed room, she withheld the need to sigh.

“I am who I am now, huh? Wonder what the guys would say if they weren’t ice sculptures.”


End file.
